The panel, appointed by President Bush, told President Obama that the federal government is missing the chance to protect people from cancer by reducing their exposure to carcinogens. In its letter, the panel singled out bisphenol A, a chemical used in polycarbonate plastic and can linings that is unregulated in the United States, as well as radon, formaldehyde and benzene.

“The increasing number of known or suspected environmental carcinogens compels us to action, even though we may currently lack irrefutable proof of harm.” – Dr. LaSalle D. Lefall, Jr., chair of the President’s Cancer Panel

Environmental health scientists were pleased by the findings, saying it embraces everything that they have been saying for years.

Richard Clapp, a professor of environmental health at Boston University’s School of Public Health and one of the nation’s leading cancer epidemiologists, called the report “a call to action.”

Environmental and occupational exposures contribute to ”tens of thousands of cancer cases a year,” Clapp said. ”If we had any calamity that produced tens of thousands of deaths or serious diseases, that’s a national emergency in my view.”

The American Cancer Society issued a statement Thursday agreeing with much of the report but taking issue with the part about how environmentally induced cancers are “grossly underestimated.” [Editor’s Note: American Cancer Society comments added May 7, 2010]

“Unfortunately, the perspective of the report is unbalanced by its implication that pollution is the major cause of cancer,” said Dr. Michael J. Thun, the society’s vice president emeritus of Epidemiology & Surveillance Research. He said the report gave short shrift to “the major known causes of cancer,” including tobacco, obesity, sunlight and alcohol.

“There is no doubt that environmental pollution is critically important to the health of humans and the planet. However, it would be unfortunate if the effect of this report were to trivialize the importance of other modifiable risk factors that, at present, offer the greatest opportunity in preventing cancer,” Thun said.

“The true burden of environmentally induced cancers has been grossly underestimated,” says the President’s Cancer Panel in a strongly reported report that urges action to reduce people’s widespread exposure to carcinogens. The panel today advised President Obama “to use the power of your office to remove the carcinogens and other toxins from our food, water, and air that needlessly increase health care costs, cripple our nation’s productivity, and devastate American lives.”

By Marla Cone
Editor in Chief
Environmental Health News
May 6, 2010

The President’s Cancer Panel on Thursday reported that “the true burden of environmentally induced cancers has been grossly underestimated” and strongly urged action to reduce people’s widespread exposure to carcinogens.

The panel advised President Obama ”to use the power of your office to remove the carcinogens and other toxins from our food, water, and air that needlessly increase health care costs, cripple our nation’s productivity, and devastate American lives.”

The 240-page report by the President’s Cancer Panel is the first to focus on environmental causes of cancer. The panel, created by an act of Congress in 1971, is charged with monitoring the multi-billion-dollar National Cancer Program and reports directly to the President every year.

Environmental exposures “do not represent a new front in the ongoing war on cancer. However, the grievous harm from this group of carcinogens has not been addressed adequately by the National Cancer Program,” the panel said in its letter to Obama that precedes the report. “The American people – even before they are born – are bombarded continually with myriad combinations of these dangerous exposures.”

Guilt free shopping doesn’t always refer to the price of an item. When I think of guilt free products, I think about the manufacturing and shipping processes it takes to create and move one product to its end location in one of our retail stores. Fair Trade products are items that, from fabrication to delivery, support global efforts to compensate workers adequately, (no matter what country of origin) ensuring a clean and comfortable working environment; and often times providing workers with an opportunity that would otherwise not be available.
As most people have concluded, the holiday season isn’t all about the gifts. Gifts are a wonderful perk of the holiday season, and are a great way to show your love and appreciation to those with whom you share your life. However, giving a gift that is satisfying at both ends is surprisingly rewarding. From the time you have purchased a fair trade item, you have already helped improve the quality of life for the individual who poured their efforts and creativity into this item.

By the time your friends and family members unwrap their gifts with smiling faces, you can smile back knowing that the person who made this gift is privy to the same opportunities and standards of living that can so often be taken for granted in the United States. Fair Trade is more than a fashion statement. It’s more than a mark that displays your support of global equality. It is a receipt for the happy individual who would not otherwise be privileged with the same working quality conditions that are under-appreciated prerequisites here in the United States.

When you buy Fair Trade, you provide a better life for a man or woman whose talent would likely otherwise be exploited.

Here is the first bit of information regarding the trip to Africa. I want to share with you a challenging opportunity that has been presented to me. In May, I will be traveling to Kenya, Africa with a missionary group from New City Fellowship, Chattanooga, TN.

There we will be working with the refugees from the Congo. There is a big influx of refugees into Kenya and the challenges they face starting their life over can be overwhelming. We will also be working with the children of St Lazarus School in the Kibera slum. My most impassioned effort is working with the handicapped children at Overcomers by Grace. There are no programs that we are privy to here in the USA, no resources for help and no concessions for access.

The Overcomers by Grace mission is to establish a permanent center and opportunities for neglected and abandoned children and adults in the Nairobi area; However, the immediate need is a handicap van. At this time $7,000 has been raised for this effort. It does not take a lot of imagination to understand how difficult it is to be disabled in Kenya.

Being a part of the New City Fellowship mission trip gives me great pride as the work they have accomplished and the still growing needs are immeasurable.

I am excited about the opportunity God has given me and the challenges that lie ahead. ﻿There are currently more plans in the works, but I do not want to post them until the plans are complete. I will be posting updates often as the plans progress.

I believe we can all make change, Right Now, without changing our life dramatically, writing letters, or becoming an activist.

Many who wish to buy organic foods say that it is often cost prohibitive. Well, it is simple supply and demand. If more organic foods were purchased, the price would come down. Period.

Still can’t afford it? I understand. What if we just refused to buy products laden with artificial food coloring? Simply stop buying a product and you are actually saving money and living better!

After speaking with many people, It seems that sometimes we are afraid to ‘take in’ the information about the use of pesticides, the abuses of vaccines, the failures of the FDA allowing dangerous chemicals in our foods or the genetic altering of our foods and the many other topics of concern. Why? Because often that knowledge will create a feeling of “we can’t fix everything” and so many people who want to see change become paralyzed with the overwhelming thought of what it takes to make change. The “What can I do about it?” But when someone we love becomes ill or has health issues that easily could have been avoided, the following topics seem so much more important. What if we could have avoided the illness altogether?

Still not convinced that organic foods and the exclusion of Artificial food coloring makes that big a difference?

I have some information..

1. The University of California scientists reported the astonishing rise in autism in the last 15 years cannot be explained by better diagnosis or changes in reporting. According to the study, it is believed that Autism is linked to fetal and infant exposure to pesticides, viruses, household chemicals, etc.

2. 13 million tons of toxic chemicals are released across the globe. Seriously. Millions.

3. Worldwide, the death rate from pesticide poisonings is more than 200,000 per year.

4. 500 Billion tons of pesticides are being used every year. As a result of toxic overload, about 860 Americans suffer from pesticide poisoning every single day; that’s almost 315,000 cases per year.

5. Bees are needed for crop production. Are we killing them off? A study published in the scientific journal PLOS (Public Library of Science) found about three out of five pollen and wax samples from 23 states had at least one systemic pesticide – a chemical designed to spread throughout all parts of a plant. EPA officials said they are aware of problems involving pesticides and bees and the agency is “very seriously concerned.”

6. Most studies on Artificial Food Coloring show that it may be a strong neurotoxin dangerous for our children. Yet 5 times the amount of artificial food coloring is used today then was originally approved. A comprehensive 2004 meta-analysis of the medical literature concluded that artificial dyes affect children’s behavior, and two recent studies funded by the British government found that dyes (as well as the preservative sodium benzoate) adversely affect kids’ behavior.

Red 3 was acknowledged by the FDA to be a carcinogen in 1985 and was banned in cosmetics and externally applied drugs. However Red 3 is still used in ingested drugs and foods.
Citrus Red 2 added to the diet resulted in bladder tumors.
Red 3 resulted in thyroid tumors and caused DNA damage.
Now this is just a tiny bit of information (not even the most devastating info because I did not want to write a scientific paper) and yet it is enough to understand that something is very wrong with our system. . “These colors carry risks,” says Bernard Weiss, PhD, professor of environmental medicine at the University of Rochester. I cannot imagine that any parent would intentionally give their child a substance that could be harmful. I know this

So what can we do about it? Just don’t buy it. Would any of us knowingly pay money for poison? Still think it’s not a big deal?

European Union banning six toxic chemicals which are commonly used in plastic household items. Including baby bottles.

U.S. companies use natural products in the U.K. – M&M’s and Skittles have natural food dyes in them.

McDonald’s Strawberry Sundae in Britain has real strawberries, but in the United States it’s colored with Red dye 40.

Likewise, the British version of Fanta orange soda gets its bright color from pumpkin and carrot extract, but in the United States the color comes from Red 40 and Yellow 6. Starburst Chews and Skittles, contain synthetic dyes in the United States, but not in Britain.(CSPI)

So why do so many companies feel that making money in the US is more important than your safety and the health of your loved ones?

My choice… Just don’t buy it.

I welcome your opinion and any information you may have on how to live a better lifestyle and make a difference!

By choosing Fair Trade, consumers support safe and healthy working conditions for farmers and artisans and create just economic opportunities for marginalized producers.

2. Fair Trade encourages environmental sustainability.

By using eco-friendly farming practices or raw materials found in nature or recycled, Fair Trade supports sustainable practices that minimize our environmental footprint.

3. Fair Trade protects children.

Local managers uphold children’s rights to security, education, and play. Businesses respect and support local laws and social norms, and disclose the involvement of children in production.

4. Fair Trade empowers marginalized workers.

Farmers & artisans gain access to low-cost, advanced capital, as well as opportunities for building their technical and business skills.

5. Fair Trade is safe.

Fair Trade actively promotes integrated farm management systems that improve soil fertility and preserve valuable eco-systems and limit the use of harmful agrochemicals that present dangers to farmers’ health. That means food that’s safer for you and the farmers who grow it!

By working through cooperative structures, Fair Trade artisans and small farmers are able to invest Fair Trade earnings in their communities, improving housing, healthcare and schools.

6. Fair Trade supports communities.

By working through cooperative structures, Fair Trade artisans and small farmers are able to invest Fair Trade earnings in their communities, improving housing, healthcare and schools

7. Fair Trade is trade farmers & artisans can count on.

Fair Trade is committed to strengthening direct, long-term partnerships between buyers and producers. These partnerships provide an avenue for buyers to purchase quality products from people they trust and offer a sustainable and reliable way for farmers, artisans and their families to improve their livelihoods.

8. Fair Trade connects you with other cultures.

Fair Trade products are unique to the places they come from and

the people who make them. Farmers and artisans are involved in the entire process, and Fair Trade products reflect the people and cultures they come from.

9. Fair Trade means sustainable local economies.

Fair Trade gives farmers and artisans control of their own future.

They can build their own businesses, rather than work for a middleman, and the profits stay in their communities and go back into their businesses.

10. Fair Trade means what you buy matters.

By choosing Fair Trade products, you are not only accessing high quality products, you are making a difference in the lives of the people who grow and craft the products.

“At Victoria Design Studio our philosophy is that you can live fabulously while staying in harmony with nature and humanity.”
At Victoria Design Studio we work around the clock to find the most exquisite environmentally friendly, handcrafted/fair-trade and organic goods to enrich your home and body. Take a look through our shop and you will find handcrafted jewelry from around the world, eco friendly gifts and gadgets, alongside some delicious vegetarian, vegan and organic food products.

It is important to realize how much privilege and opportunity those of us that live in more economically developed countries receive. Fair trade is our way of paying that privilege forward to those who live in financially depressed regions, and regions that are not privy to “free trade” advantages such as the removal of tariffs. This “international sales tax” in conjunction with the often difficult living conditions of these countries often keeps us from ever seeing some of the world’s finest artisan made items, rare/exotic herbs and fruits, as well as items made from renewable sources such as bamboo.

The world has come a long way since being “environmentally friendly” meant wearing itchy and unstylish garments and eating unidentifiable masses of vegetable protein. Modern green living has evolved into something far more palatable. In most cases the foods are richer and more flavorful because it is still food, and not a solution of chemicals and food byproducts. The fair trade clothing in our store mirrors today’s fashions and had been carefully selected from the finest products around the world for comfort, fit, and sensibility. So whether you are ready to go green or have been a long time advocate of humanity, welcome to Victoria Design Studio.

Regarding the Rare & Fossils: I have a personal collection of Ancient Antiquities and will be offering them for sale from time to time. Anyone who is signed up for the mailing list will be notified when a new item is listed. Some items in my collection include Ancient Roman and Jeruselum items as well as Authentic Ancient Egyptian Necklaces. We continue to look for vendors who specialize in any of the following:

Organic ~ Sustainable ~ Artisan Made
Eco Friendly ~ Fair Trade

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Welcome to the only official site of artist Victoria York. Victoria Design Studio is the impetus of artist Victoria York.
While custom furniture is still available in several locations, this site is offering affordable luxury products with a focus on artisan made hand crafted products.
Though many of our products are eco-smart and fair trade, we hope what you find is simply COOL STUFF for YOU and YOUR HOME!